In a move that reinforces India's growing significance in the global aerospace supply chain, Rolls-Royce has expanded its strategic partnership with Bharat Forge Ltd to manufacture and supply fan blades for its next-generation Pearl 700 and Pearl 10X engines. The agreement, signed at Rolls-Royce's Dahlewitz facility near Berlin, represents a major milestone in the company's long-term commitment to building advanced manufacturing capabilities within India.
For Rolls-Royce, this partnership is more than just a supply contract. It is a demonstration of how global aerospace leaders are increasingly looking to India for precision manufacturing, engineering expertise, and dependable quality. The company has already pledged to double its sourcing from India by 2030, and this collaboration brings that vision one step closer to reality.
Speaking about the partnership, Sashi Mukundan, Executive Vice President – Transformation, Rolls-Royce India, said the agreement is aligned with the company's ambition to strengthen local partnerships. "Rolls-Royce is delighted to deepen its partnership with Bharat Forge towards advancing the ‘Make in India' vision. This new contract reflects our commitment to developing world-class manufacturing capabilities in India, with a shared vision of delivering state-of-the-art aerospace components to the global supply chain ecosystem," he said.
Amit Kalyani, Vice Chairman and Joint Managing Director of Bharat Forge Ltd, described the agreement as a reflection of mutual trust and shared commitment to excellence. "This expanded partnership with Rolls-Royce reflects our shared commitment to engineering excellence and long-term collaboration. We are proud to support the Pearl engine family, which represents the future of high-performance aviation," he added.
The collaboration between the two companies began in 2020 when Bharat Forge started supplying parts for Rolls-Royce's Pearl 700 programme. Over the years, Bharat Forge has earned a reputation for precision and reliability, achieving class-leading quality standards. In 2024, the company delivered its first zero-defect fan blade for the Pearl 700 engine, a milestone that set a new benchmark in Indian aerospace manufacturing.
With the latest agreement, Bharat Forge's role expands to include production for the Pearl 10X engine, the newest and most powerful member of Rolls-Royce's market-leading Pearl engine family. The Pearl 10X, designed for next-generation business jets, delivers more than 18,000 pounds of thrust and features the highly efficient Advance2 engine core, making it the most advanced propulsion system in its class.
For Bharat Forge, this marks another step forward in its evolution as a global supplier of high-precision aerospace components. It remains the first and only company in India with the technology and capability to produce such advanced fan blades for the Pearl engine family. This achievement underscores the company's investment in state-of-the-art manufacturing infrastructure and its focus on innovation, sustainability, and long-term collaboration with leading OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers around the world.
Rolls-Royce's presence in India spans over nine decades, and its footprint continues to grow. More than 1,400 Rolls-Royce engines currently power aircraft across the Indian Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Army. Its ecosystem employs over 4,000 people, including 2,800 engineers contributing to global development programmes.
This renewed collaboration with Bharat Forge not only strengthens the aerospace ecosystem in India but also positions the country as an integral part of the global manufacturing map. It reflects a shared belief that India's engineering talent, technological advancement, and production excellence can shape the next generation of aviation innovation.
As the Pearl 10X engine prepares to define new standards of performance in business aviation, its fan blades—crafted with precision in Pune—will carry a story of partnership, progress, and the quiet confidence of India's manufacturing prowess taking flight.
